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One house, multiple personalities

By Marcie Geffner, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/amitlev/1371806140/" target=blank>AmitLev</a>.

They say every picture tells a story. Well, so does every house.

My friend Nova McLaren's home in Glendale, Calif., is a perfect example. Built in 1929, the Spanish-style house is a paragon of classic detailing, from the high ceilings to the dark-stained and intricately patterned wood floors. The rooms are set off by a variety of interesting archways. The fireplace is bordered by ceramic tiles. The living room windows are as tall and as wide as doors. There are bay windows in the kitchen and the eating nook, and even the front door is distinctive with a window-like peephole.  more...

Home inspector's mistake costs buyers

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: We bought our house about seven months ago and hired a home inspector to check it out, but he never went on the roof. He said there was no need to walk on the roof because it was only 5 years old and not likely to be worn or damaged.

Well guess what? When the first rains came, we had a major leak. The contractor we hired said the roof was not properly installed. Besides that, there were tar patches that could not be seen from the ground. These revealed a history of past roof leaks and could have been reported by our home inspector, if he had taken the time to look. When we called him about this, he said that he is not required to walk on roofs. If that is so, then what good are home inspectors? --Jay  more...

Delay move until deal is done

By Dian Hymer, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.

Sellers should start packing as soon as they think they might want to put their home on the market. That is, they should start weeding out all the personal property they no longer want or need. It makes no sense to spend time and money packing and moving these things.

Most homes need decluttering before they're sold. This is so they show at their best, which usually results in a faster sale at a higher price. Cluttered homes look smaller than they are. And, an unkempt look puts buyers off. Clearing out the clutter early is a good idea even if you aren't sure when you'll be moving.  more...

Prenup's real estate impact questioned

By Benny Kass, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.

DEAR BENNY: When my dad and stepmother got married they moved to Florida and bought a home together. Because there are children on both sides, they had a prenuptial agreement drawn up that states the home would be divided equally between the children when they both were gone. Sadly, my dad passed away recently, and we were just told that Florida law states that the deed to the house automatically goes into the surviving spouse's name. We were told that my stepmother owns the house now and we are out of luck.

She and her family do not intend to honor the prenuptial agreement and, according to the lawyer handling the estate, we have no recourse. My question is would the prenuptial agreement take over when my stepmother passes? What happens if she sells the house, buys another and puts the new house in her family's name? --Mike  more...

Real estate 'experts' book 'hit and miss'

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.

Because I casually follow him on Twitter and elsewhere, the publication of Robert Kiyosaki's latest, "The Real Book of Real Estate," had been a blurry blip on my mental radar screen for some time, so I was interested to lay hands on it. Very quickly, it became apparent that the thick book was not, as I'd expected, a mid-career or post-bubble revisitation of his original classic, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." Rather, it was a compilation of article/chapters by 22 other real estate personalities. I use the term personalities because, well, neither "expert" nor "charlatan" would fit all of the contributors.

What an assortment of folks! You've got real experts, like Garrett Sutton, who is an attorney who has both pioneered and mastered asset protection for real estate investors, and you've got infomercial investing pioneer Carleton Sheets, of "No Money Down" fame (or infamy, as the case may be).  more...

Don't overdo home upgrades

By Bernice Ross, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mccready/2875900557/">mccready</a>.

DEAR BERNICE: We're thinking about selling our 9-year-old home. It has the original appliances. There are quite a few new homes on the market about a mile from where we live. What can we do to compete? Do we need to update our kitchen? --Sally U.

DEAR SALLY: As a general rule, it doesn't make sense to do major upgrades on your property. What you select to upgrade may be what the buyer hates most about your property. In other words, what you pick out, the next buyer may tear out.  more...

Big shoes to fill in customer service

By Inman News, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.
Flickr image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferwoodardmaderazo/561146390/" target=blank>Jen SFO-BCN</a>.

Have you ever stayed at a Ritz Carlton Hotel? Bought a pair of shoes, or returned them at Zappos? These two companies immediately come to mind when you think about exceptional customer service. While the two companies couldn't appear to be more different, when you drill down, they are very much alike in their core values and business and leadership principles.

Providing exceptional service begins with understanding the customer. In case you haven't noticed, the needs of the customer have changed a lot in the past few years, and will continue to evolve. Creating an exceptional customer experience doesn't mean you have to be twice as good as your competitor, just be a little better. That's easy if you have the right culture in place.  more...